Timariot Shahbaz of Damqan

Shahbaz (1056-) was a great Kurdish poet in the age of the Seljuk Empire. Born a Miaphysite Christian, he took part in a failed uprising against Malik Shah and was captured. Malik Shah decided to spare him, and he had Shahbaz convert to Islam. Shahbaz was appointed Court Poet under Malik Shah, and wrote several beautiful poems.

Biography
Shahbaz was born in 1056 to a Miaphysite Christian family of Kurds. In 1080, he joined Naveed's Miaphysite Kurdish uprising against the Seljuk Empire, but he was captured in battle after Naveed's death. Malik Shah held him in his dungeon briefly, but he released him after Shahbaz converted to Islam. Malik Shah appointed Shahbaz the Court Poet of the Seljuk Empire, and Shahbaz wrote several poems about Islam and Malik Shah's empire.